Lamp socket



L. ERIKSON LAMP SOCKET March l2, l92 9.

Filed May 9, 1925 Patented Mar.V l2, 1929.

UNIT-ED STATES 'PATEN'T'oFFicn LEONARD ERIKSON, or MALDEN,iviAssAeHnsnrfrs, AssiGNon rro vnitiisoit.- ELEC- rraie COMPANY, AorBOSTON, iviassaen'osn'rms, iiioonroitiirronfor MASSACHU- SETTS.

v y Application filed May 9,

September 25, 1923 and relates to lamp sockets adapted particularly foruse in. show-case reflectors oi the type disclosed in my United Thegeneral objectot my invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction of such lamp sockets, and special objects are to provide a`one-piece socket in which the soldering of the electrical conductorstothe terminals of the socket is eliminated. andin which a spacingdevice may be employed to hold the socket away from its support so thatlamps other than those of the tubular Vor cylindrical type may beemployed, if

desired. c

Vith theforegoing objects in view my invention involves a block ofinsulating inaterial having longitudinal chambers in its outer ends forreceiving` the threaded metallic tube and spring contact member whichengage the cylindrical surface and central terminal of the lamp pluglrespectively, Asaid block having also two longitudinal recesses betweensaid chambers, each enclosing a metallic bridge member, means such yasscrews mechanically and electrically connecty ing` the-said threadedtubes with one bridge member, other means mechanically and electricallyconnecting said tubes, and screws or other suitable means engagingthespring contacts and threaded into the other bridge member, togetherwith bindingfposts relectrically connected withv the Vtops ofsaid bridgemembers for receiving loops `formed in the electrical conductors or elseshort leads connected to said conductors.

My invention comprises also a flanged spacing device interposed betweenthe socket LAMP SOCKET.

1925. seriai No. 20,076.

in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specication'inwhich- Figure 1 is an elevation of'my improved lamp socket applied to ashowcase reflector; Fig. 2 is'a plan view ofthe construction v Y shownin Fig. 1 with the reflector removed; State-s Letters Patentl 1,380,368dated `June Y Fig. '3 is a central longitudinal section on an enlargedscale taken'on the line 3-3 of Figs. t and 5;

Fig. 4; is an end view looking toward thev lefthand end of Fig. 3;.,

Fig. 'is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 oit Fig. 3; n

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a single socket; Fig.V Y is a planviewv o'l" the socket shown in Figj;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on the line 8-'8 oifFig.

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing myinvention l0 represents a block of insulating material, the outer endsof which vare chambered as shown at 11, 12, forreceiving the threadedmetalh lic tubes 13, 14 which engage the cylindrical i surface of thelamp plug, and also the spring contact members 16, 17 which `engage themidway kbetween said. chambers 11, 12 are two longitudinal recesses18,19 separated by a central longitudinal partition 20 and houscentralterminal of said plug.r Arranged ing the bridge y members 21, 22,respectively, said bridgeinembers consisting of strips .of

brass or other conducting material bent to the shape shown, that is,having two vertical portions" connected by a horizontal toppiece. Meansare 'provided for mechanically and electricallyv connecting the`threaded tubes 13, 14, with the bridge member 22, and

l in the present instance such means are shown as screws 23, 24, havingtheir heads engaging the tubes, respectively, and their ends threadedinto the vertical portions ofsaid bridge.

By means of the screw 25 passing through:

a hole in the central portion of the block 10,

the threaded tubes are mechanically and electrically connected together,a nut 26 being threaded on said screw and engaging the tube 13.

In order to connectthe spring contact members 16, 17 electrically andmechanically to the bridge member 21, any suitable means l such as thescrews 27,A 28 may be employed,

opposite ends of one of the two recesses 18,

19 to accommodate the electrical conductors when the socket isattacheddirectly to its support without the interposition of the spacing memberabout' to be described.

y A portion 'of the top member of the re- Hector is shown at 33' andattached to the underside thereof, as by the screws 34, is a conduit 35for electrical conductors, shown at 36, said conduit consisting or' abase and two upwardlyV inclined Vside members as described in my LettersPatent above mentioned. Interposed between the base of said conduit andthe upper face of the socket is a flanged spacing device 37 shown in thepresent instanceV as a hollow rectangular member havingoppositely-disposed flanges 38 extending laterallyfrom two of the sidewalls thereof and threaded to receive the screws 39 whereby said Vdeviceis attached to the base of the conduit 35 and having on itslower surfaceva plurality of lugs 40, four in number in the present instance,arranged to vtit into the slots 32, respectively, to prevent relativemovement between the spacing device and the socket. The flange 41extends laterally from the lower end of one of the side walls toward theopposite wall and is Aprovided with a threaded hole orreceiving theupper end of the screw 42 which passes vthrough the hole 43 `in thecentral portion of the socket `for' attaching the latter to said It willVbe understood ot heights will be 'employed when lamps oli differentdiameters 'arefused in the sockets. A sheet of insulation 43 preferablyis placed between the socket and the spacing member to cover the bridgesand their attached binding-posts.

When the spacing members are used, short leads 44 from the conductors 36pass through perforations 45 in the base o-' the conduit and areconnected electrically to the binding-posts 30, 31, respectively. When,however, tubular lamps lare used' and the spacing members are notnecessary, a loop is formed in each of said conductors 36 for attachmentto said binding-posts, the slots 32 aifording space for the passageofsaid conductors to said binding-posts.

As shown in Fig. 6, my invention may be incorporated in a single socket,in which case the threaded tube 13 and spring contact member 16 areconnected, respectively, to the bridge members 22, 21 and the screw 46and nut 47 mechanically secure said tube to the socket, the constructionotherwise being the same as that already described in connection withthe double socketV shown in Fig. 3. y

Havm'O thus described illustrative embodiments oi my invention withouthowever limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters lfatent is1- n 1. Aspacing device for holding 4a lamp socketaway from its support comprising a hollow rectangular member,oppositely-disposed flangesl extending vlaterally from two of the sidewalls thereof, lugs on the lower surface of said member arranged toco-op- Vcrate with recesses in said socket to prevent relative movementbetween said device and said socket, and a lange extending` laterallyfrom the lower end of one oi its walls toward the opposite wall forreceiving a member-adapted to attach said device to said socket.

2. In combination, a lamp socket comprising a block of insulatingmaterial providedV with a pair of spaced longitudinal recesses in theupper face thereof, said upperface also having two pairs of conductorreceiving slots each slot terminating atthe opposite ends of' saidrecesses and communicating

